Anna meets Dan while photographing him for his first
novel. They hit it off, but Dan is also dating
Alice. Anna then meets Larry, whom she eventually
marries while still secretly dating Dan. Meanwhile,
Alice, spurned by Dan's cheating, begins sidling
up to Larry. These numerous liaisons seem artificial,
melodramatic and even whiny at times, but Nichols'
airtight direction, and the mesmerizing charisma
of the four lead actors make it difficult to simply
write it off. In this manner, "Closer" seduces
you into its story with pretty faces—including
the Sexiest Man Alive—doing vile, hurtful
things to each other in a juvenile game of one-upmanship.

Law continues the cad role he perfected in"Alfie,"
while Roberts' reserved emotion is a welcome change
of pace for the Academy Award-winning actress. Owen
burns with intensity as the scorned and bitter husband,
but the real joy here is Natalie Portman, all grown
up and handling her character's masked vulnerability
with honesty and sensuality.

Set against a contemporary London backdrop, all of this
complexity bumbles toward a final scene that suddenly
illuminates the film's title.